TUW: Out of the Maelstrom

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Defender of Oerth

Merin ponders for a moment, "Converting some of these soldiers is still a FANTASTIC idea, but once the army is closer to Southroad, and we are still dealing with the remaining loyal elements, I wonder if we could approach the soldiers' camp at night, and cause all of their wooden weaponry to become dry and brittle, without them realizing it? Having a bowstring snap, or a spearhead fall off, during a crucial moment in the battle would be a great advantage for us. Do you think it's possible? Can we affect that many weapons? Or perhaps, affect all the weapons within a certain area?"

Indigo gives a sharp look at Torvald. "What!? If we poison a natural water supply, we effect everything that uses the water, plants, animals, everything, not just the soldiers."

Sheldon lays a hand on her shoulder. "I do not think that is what he meant. Rather than continue to harm these soldiers, it is my understanding that the plan is to convert their loyalty. My question was how do we go about this."

OOC:

@Tellerian Hawke If you are proposing that the collected water supplies be effected, his understanding of the talent to manipulate Way lines would prevent him from making an area of effect proposal.

Defender of Oerth

Tor replies. "I certainly did NOT mean the water source. I was talking about the waterskins. Nor was I suggesting poison; I simply meant fouling the water enough to make it non-palatable. The idea that I am advancing is to lower morale, without doing physical harm, in order to make the soldiers more succeptible to persuasion."

Explorer

Sannit says, "We know which way the water searchers went. We track them and get as close as we can. At an opportune time I, and whoever else wishes to speak with them, will reveal and attempt to determine their loyalty to the Magisters. Whoever chooses to go with us will be allowed to live, and the others will die. Either way that group will vanish and not return to the army. That will shake the armies morale even further to have their searchers disappear."

Creator of The Untamed Wilds

Tor replies. "I certainly did NOT mean the water source. I was talking about the waterskins. Nor was I suggesting poison; I simply meant fouling the water enough to make it non-palatable. The idea that I am advancing is to lower morale, without doing physical harm, in order to make the soldiers more succeptible to persuasion."

Indigo makes a gesture of being appeased and shifts it to one of diversion, then responds to Tor in her usual calm manner and rich alto voice. "You are basically splitting hairs. Whether the water is altered enough to kill or sicken, it is still being poisoned. Not only is there some variance in the toxicity we can cause, there will be some difference in the result based on the natural health of each person who drinks it... But this is all just vocabulary. Anyway, I can only effect one skin at a time and I would have to be close to get it done. Bolo is more proficient than I, but this is not an accomplishable task at this time. We will have to try something else. Sorry."

Sannit says, "We know which way the water searchers went. We track them and get as close as we can. At an opportune time I, and whoever else wishes to speak with them, will reveal and attempt to determine their loyalty to the Magisters. Whoever chooses to go with us will be allowed to live, and the others will die. Either way that group will vanish and not return to the army..."

Sheldon nods, then reaches up with his left hand and pulls his hair out of his face. "Do or die. The option seems a bit hard, but this is war. At least we are giving the soldiers a chance."

The loss of food and water delays to progress of the army 7 additional days. The groups searching for water separate and fan out, searching methodically. It takes some time to decide upon a group isolated enough to approach.

The selected group moves out of sight of other members of the party, at a considerable distance to the west of the road. The Seekers all decide to reveal themselves as harmonious unit. The squad of 10 archers and 10 hoplites reflexively prepares for battle, but the two squad leaders quickly realize they are far outmatched even with the greater numbers and are relieved that their foes seem interested in parlay.

The parlay continues for several minutes giving the soldiers time to think, respond, and ask questions. The squad leader for the hoplites is a man. The one for the archers is a woman. The two discuss with one another, then the man speaks directly to the Seekers. "Obviously, we will allow each one under our charge to decide for himself. You are basically asking us to abandon our charge and commit treason. I will assume that our other option will be death. If we abandon the cause of the Magistry, we cannot return to Asylim. What exactly are you offering us? It would be better to be killed at your hand than to suffer the distinct possibility of starving or being eaten by a sand lizard."

[sblock=The Ansylin Army]The first formation is comprised of 100 hoplites, armed with lances and shields. The second formation is comprised of 100 archers. The supply wagons, pulled by teams of donkeys, bring up the rear. For 200 soldiers plus 4 centurions, there needs be quite a bit of supplies. The wagons contain food stores, water, extra arrows, and cooking supplies. There are 20 cooks riding on the wagons.[/sblock]

Defender of Oerth

Merin smiles warmly and says, "We are not criminals, deceivers, manipulators, or opportunists; I understand your concern. Were we any of these things, then your natural course of thought would be that if you become traitor to Asylim, that we would not trust your loyalty, and decide to do away with you at a later time, after you've out-lived your usefulness. Let me assure you that THIS IS NOT THE CASE. Listen carefully..."

Merin pauses for effect, before continuing, "We in Southroad Fair are simple folk; we desire only our freedom, and the ability of each person to pursue the things in life that matter most to each. Asylim's Magisters have declared war on US. They want to subjugate, and dare I say, enslave us. We shall resist. We MUST resist. But we realize that although Asylim's governance is corrupt and vile, that the majority of its citizens are not. Thus, here we are, giving you the chance to not only switch sides, but to make a better life for yourself in Southroad, once this conflict is ended. We have NO WISH to kill good folk, whose only "crime" was following a corrupt leader simply because there was no other choice. But what we're telling you is, THERE IS now a choice; and that choice is to join us. If you choose to betray Asylim, it will not be simply to take your chances in the wilderness. You will be welcomed in Southroad Fair. But the downside of this is, if you do choose to side with us, you will likely face some of your friends who disagreed with you on the battlefield. It is a choice that must be carefully weighed."

After that, Merin pauses again, waiting for other Seekers to chime in, or perhaps for the soldiers to reply.

Explorer

Sannit says, "We are offering what we want for ourselves, lives without tyranny. My brother Seeker has told you of Southroad Fair as an option, but there are other places to settle if you wish. Beyond Southroad Fair is Boga City and we are establishing a trade route between our town and a friendly Mhytre city on the shores of a vast mountain lake with other communities. Also we are building a port for our town on the sea shore. There are many opportunities that we offer for a better life, to work and perhaps raise a family without anyone forcing you into submission. These are your choices, for as you said if you return to Asylim you will die, and we are telling you that if you attack Southroad Fair, you will die."

Creator of The Untamed Wilds

Merin smiles warmly and says, "... Listen carefully... We in Southroad Fair are simple folk... You will be welcomed in Southroad Fair. But the downside of this is, if you do choose to side with us, you will likely face some of your friends who disagreed with you on the battlefield. It is a choice that must be carefully weighed."

Sannit says, "We are offering what we want for ourselves, lives without tyranny. My brother Seeker has told you of Southroad Fair as an option, but there are other places to settle if you wish. Beyond Southroad Fair is Boga City... a friendly Mhytre city... a port for our town on the sea shore... These are your choices, for as you said if you return to Asylim you will die, and we are telling you that if you attack Southroad Fair, you will die."

The two squad commanders speak with each other quietly for a few seconds, then the man addresses the party. "'Brother Seeker' as in the Southroad Seekers? Did we hear you correctly?"

Sheldon pulls his left hand through his hair, pulling it back from his face and answers calmly. "Yes, we are the Southroad Seekers, standing here before you. Yes, we were captured by your Magisters and sent to our deaths out in the Maelstrom."

"We are not so easily sacrificed. We commandeered the prison ship, liberated its other, unjustly incarcerated crew members, and have returned in time to still save our city from this army."

"Of course this army never had a chance. Southroad Fair has acquired 100 mounted calvary from Boga City and a squad of heavily, metal armored, Maldrog axemen from Bergbaulager. Do you understand the difference between a Bender and a Blighter? I will simply tell you. Your vile, manipulative Magister sent you to your death. They are expecting we will kill you all. We are not such people. We want commerce to flourish among the cities of the land. We want you to be able to live peaceably and raise your families without living in fear. We are not your enemy. We are your liberators. Magister Shafemarron is your true enemy."

The female commander replies. "What you all say sounds fair and good, but we are halfway between Asylim and Southroad Fair. We have no water and no food..."

One of the archers interjects, loudly, "You have destroyed our water and our food. You will have us wander this burning sand until we die, horribly. We are 10 hoplites and 10 archers. You are a rag-tag bunch with 7 members. You could not survive 10 archers while defending against 10 spears. We can take you, now, and march on to victory! Come on soldiers!"

[sblock=The Ansylin Army]The first formation is comprised of 100 hoplites, armed with lances and shields. The second formation is comprised of 100 archers. The supply wagons, pulled by teams of donkeys, bring up the rear. For 200 soldiers plus 4 centurions, there needs be quite a bit of supplies. The wagons contain food stores, water, extra arrows, and cooking supplies. There are 20 cooks riding on the wagons.[/sblock]

Defender of Oerth

Tor laughs amiably at the archer, "We can just as easily re-supply you with food and water, if you so desire it. I'll repeat what the other Seekers have said; we are not your enemy. Had we wished, we could have simply killed you, instead of granting you a parlay. The food and water shortage was simply a tactic to slow your army down. Don't you see that we're holding back? Don't you know mercy when it's being shown to you? I will tell you this, archer. Attacking us will be the last mistake you will ever make, and killing you will bring us no joy. It will be a tragedy. Don't throw your life away over a misunderstanding and a little inconvenience."

Explorer

At these aggressive words Sannit intends to take a defensive stance with his spear and Bolo intends to nock an arrow to her bow and point it at the archer that spoke. If the group makes any threatening moves she will release.

Sannit says, "We wouldn't come out here if we were afraid of losing this fight. Your deaths won't bother us in the least, but we decided to give you the choice for life."

Villager

Vadin readies to defend from an attack. He adds, "I have been with this group for a little bit now, and we have easily handled greater challenges than what you have here. Further, we could have attacked already and have not. I urge you not to make the mistake many of our past enemies have made and attack. We have given you a chance, I suggest you take it."

Defender of Oerth

Sensing San-Bolo's anxiousness, Tor tenses slightly. Still, he does not intend to attack unless the other side attacks first. If that happens, his target will be the archer who instigated the whole thing.

Creator of The Untamed Wilds

One of the archers interjects, loudly, "You have destroyed our water and our food. You will have us wander this burning sand until we die, horribly. We are 10 hoplites and 10 archers. You are a rag-tag bunch with 7 members. You could not survive 10 archers while defending against 10 spears. We can take you, now, and march on to victory! Come on soldiers!"

At these aggressive words Sannit intends to take a defensive stance with his spear and Bolo intends to nock an arrow to her bow and point it at the archer that spoke. If the group makes any threatening moves she will release...

The archer starts to draw her bow when she begins the statement with, "We can take you..." In a surprising display of speed, Indigo, who was standing closest to the archer, moves into action before Tor speaks his first five words. She grabs the arrow and the bow with her left hand as she slits the archer's throat with an underhanded draw, using her right.

The archer gurgles and dies as Indigo continues to hold onto her bow. Torvald finishes speaking, followed by Sannit's words, then Vadin's. All of the other soldiers stare in a dumbfounded fashion, several with their jaws agape. No further action is initiated by the soldiers and no further action is required by the Seekers.

After an awkward silence of about 5 seconds, Sheldon says one word. "Kneel."

All of the soldiers kneel. Some may have done so of their own volition, but none was given the option. None of them, even the two commanders have the ability to resist the talent that Sheldon has to command their minds.

"Stand." He ceases to manipulate mystic way lines that control the function of their minds.

"You are far out of your depth. You are not even a risk to us. We do not even need to kill you. You could be to wander the desert aimlessly until you dehydrate and you would not even realize that you had died."

The 17 remaining soldiers lay down their spears and bows. The two commanders allay theirs to rest. All are visibly afraid. The male commander asks, "What will you have us do?"

[sblock=The Ansylin Army]The first formation is comprised of 100 hoplites, armed with lances and shields. The second formation is comprised of 100 archers. The supply wagons, pulled by teams of donkeys, bring up the rear. For 200 soldiers plus 4 centurions, there needs be quite a bit of supplies. The wagons contain food stores, water, extra arrows, and cooking supplies. There are 20 cooks riding on the wagons.[/sblock]

Defender of Oerth

Merin replies, "Your options are three-fold: fight us, which would be the same as suicide, join us and see the truth of what we have promised, that is to say that your life will be your own, and you will be free to live as you see fit in a way that promotes your own happiness and prosperity; lastly, you could simply leave and go somewhere else."

"The third option would be tough, because you would be on your own, without the support of a community, but it is an option, nevertheless. Personally, I think that if you could convince the rest of your army to simply join us, that would be your best option. Remember this, a man fighting to defend his home is worth 5 hired mercenaries. If you continue to serve the Magisters, you will surely die. To them, you are nothing more than an expendable tool."

Explorer

Sannit relaxes his stance and replies, "The first thing you must do is submit to our authority and abandon whatever oaths you have sworn before. We will not ask you to fight against your former comrades, as we do not need your assistance, but we cannot allow you to return to your army. If you decide to go with us we will share our food and water with you and then tell you what we will do from there. We will give the same choice to the other groups that we find out here."

After Indigo dispatches the dissenter, Bolo steps back and gets a better position in case she has to shoot next time.

The hoplite commander seems somewhat confused. "We have sworn no oaths. We chose to be soldiers because the privileges and pay are better than those of the pickers or construction workers, although the danger is greater. Each soldier must weigh the option of his own aptitude. Those who fail to do this, die quickly."

The Seekers chaperone the converted soldiers and move northward to the next pre-placed water station. Turtle comes from hiding to meet everyone, causing even more stir of amazement with the fledgling Ansylins. The Windrunners are sent to return to Southroad Fair with a written note attached to one of the harnesses conveying information of the Seekers' well-being and progress.

Over the next ten days the Seekers realize and reject several ideas concerning the Ansylin army. It is finally decided that some battle should result from the impending intention of conflict. Before the army arrives within a day of Southroad Fair, its number has been decimated by half, with 1/4 of that number alive and well under the guardianship of the Southroad Seekers.

Rather than watch the soldiers die of dehydration, since they are merely pawns in the scheme of others, water and game are provided to them. Death by sword seems much less cruel. The charity is treated with the utmost superstition, but a body's natural instinct for survival will not allow the charity to be rejected. This plays heavily upon the collective psyche of the army.

The remaining Ansylin army now camps within a day of Southroad Fair. The Seekers are to the south of the army to negate any realistic chance of notice of the soldiers they have poached.

[sblock=The Ansylin Army]The first formation is comprised of 100 hoplites, armed with lances and shields. The second formation is comprised of 100 archers. The supply wagons, pulled by teams of donkeys, bring up the rear. For 200 soldiers plus 4 centurions, there needs be quite a bit of supplies. The wagons contain food stores, water, extra arrows, and cooking supplies. There are 20 cooks riding on the wagons.[/sblock]

Explorer

Sannit says, "Who will go with me to address the rest of this army? The rest of the Seekers will be hiding nearby, as usual. We will offer one last time for them to surrender unconditionally or we should destroy them. We are sending a message to Asylim, after all, and I don't desire prisoners. Anyone who refuses we will give them an honorable death of combat against us."

Turtle will help keep an eye on the new recruits, but will only do 'bear' things around them, no tricks or playing games.